Observations, articles, opinions etc. in Dutch and English. The author, Bert de Bruin (Yonathan Dror Bar-On), is a Dutch-Jewish historian, who has specialized in modern Jewish history and in the history of the Middle East, and who in 1995 emigrated from the Netherlands to Israel. He wrote one book (2008), and edited another (2011), both in Dutch. For feedback please post a comment, or send this blog's author an email: (hisdutchname)atyahoodotcom

Monday, September 05, 2005

Regarding "Vogel: Jews suffered, so Israel deserves spot at Germany", Ha'Aretz, September 5, 2005:
Although I am sure Johann Vogel's intentions were good when he said "Israel represents the Jews and the Jews suffered in the Holocaust because of Germany. Therefore they deserve a place at the World Cup in Germany.", his reasoning is problematic and absurd. Maybe according to his logic it would make sense if Israel was offered a spot at the expense of Switzerland and France? After all, those two countries were somehow involved in the Holocaust, at least more than Ireland, Cyprus and the Faroe Islands. As the anti-Israel 'demonstration' during the Switzerland-Israel match and Mr Vogel's comments make clear, in most cases sports, history and politics form an awkward and often unworkable combination.